Rules, red tape and the Ph.D. at the I.O.P.

1. Rules, red tape and the Ph.D. at the I.O.P. Paul Salkovskis Department of Psychology (ext 5038/9) Chair, Postgraduate Research Committee

2. “The Supervisory Relationship”

3. Doing a PhD • As PhD’s become more managed, students will become more educated in specific disciplines and acquire more transferable skills. • They will learn about philosophy of science, experimental design and data analysis. • They may learn management and business skills. • They will come to appreciate the pleasure of validating hypotheses, and learn to deal with the anxiety/pain associated with poor/uninterpretable data or the frustration of experimental failure. • It is important that students undertake sufficient experiments to become part of the discourse of the discipline ie be able to analyse other work on the basis of knowledge and experience. • Resolving problems and dealing with failure are important parts of professional and self-development, and thus are parts of the training process. • What has to be clear is the boundary between this "no pain no gain" state, and the problems which arise as a result of poor supervision.

4. PGR student admin structure • KCL now awards degrees • King’s College Graduate School • IOP PGR committee • Local PGR sub-committees (IRGs, departments, co-ops) • Individual supervisors and students

5. PGR student documentation • University regulations, exam rules • KCL College core code of practice • IOP PGR committee Student Handbook Supervisor handbook Student-supervisors agreement • Local PGR sub-committees (IRGs, departments, co-ops) Student Handbook • Individual supervisors and students Student/supervisor agreement

6. Acceptance letter • At this moment, all students attending this session should have received a letter or letters specifying: • i) the topic or general area of your research • ii) the name of their first and second supervisor; • iii) specifying full time or part time • iv)the start date; • vi)the duration of the project; • vii)the approximate amount of funding available for training and conferences; • viii)the tuition fee level. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that you have this letter

7. Supervision • All students should have at least a first and second named supervisor and a named personal tutor. • Minimum expectation: Regular and scheduled meetings at least monthly with first; scheduled meetings at least 6 per year with the second. Meetings should be task oriented, and result in the formulation of realistic goals. • Personal tutor: opportunity to meet; contact made regularly (every 6 months). Contact may be by email. • Expectations of students and supervisors clearly identified from the outset (guidance document)

8. The bottom line: timetable for submission of the PhD • Full-time students are expected to submit within three years of registration. Anything over three years requires an extension (limit: 4 years) • Part-time students: expected to submit within six years. This expectation can be modified downwards by mutual agreement between student and supervisor, but not upwards. Part time registration assumes 50%, can be increased up to 70%. • (limit: 7 years)

9. Getting there: Proposals and upgrades • PhD proposal • Full-time students must apply for transfer from MPhil to PhD nine months from the date of their initial registration • For part-time students this should be within 1 yr 6 months • Local committee should be notified of any delay as soon as possible • Extensions of Upgrade can be applied for in exceptional circumstances. • Extensions of submission (beyond 3/6 years) can be applied for in exceptional circumstances. A detailed timetable should be included with the application

10. Getting there: 2 • There are four submission dates per year; see website • Not meeting deadlines is likely to be regarded as a failure to progress and is likely to result in either deregistration or remaining registered for an M.Phil. only. • Suspension of registration would allow a delay in these deadlines; this must be formally applied for to PGR committee with specific reasons and a new timetable.

11. More on timetable • An application for transfer to writing up status can be lodged with the local committee at 3 years (full time) and six years (part time). If agreed, fees are suspended. • Ph.D. upgrade and writing up should usually have the explicit approval of the first supervisor. None are automatic. • The limit for writing up is one year. • If a proposal (PhD upgrade, writing up) is refused and this is regarded as unreasonable, an appeal to the PGR committee can be lodged

12. Monitoring • The monitoring form is meant primarily to be a tool for ensuring progression. • 3/6 monthly cycle • First monitoring target form this month • First and final years: quarterly • M.Phil. and upgrade proposals include monitoring forms. • Intervening years: every 6 months • Monitoring forms are the joint responsibility of student and supervisor. • Falsifying a monitoring form is a disciplinary matter

13. Student/supervisor agreement • The document “Guidance for supervison” is to be discussed and examined within the first three months of registration, and a signed copy (signed by students and supervisors) sent to registry.

14. Formal training and transferable skills • All full time students are now required to undertake at least 2 weeks training per year for three years (1 week for six years for part-time) • Transferable and research skills training will be arranged through • Supervisors • IoP local arrangements • College Graduate School

15. The end (exam entry) • Exam entry form should be submitted at least four months prior to submission; nine months is preferred • Students and supervisors are encouraged to discuss examiners prior to submission; supervisors have to be identified at the time exam entry form is submitted.